Tight End Jared Cook Appears to be Nick Foles’ Favorite Target
By Nic Moody
It’s no surprise that the St. Louis Rams expect big things from their big tight end. Jared Cook signed a five-year deal back in 2013, and while some would argue he has not quite lived up to expectation, I would argue that he has been the Rams leading receiver, based on receptions, two years in a row.
Even though the stats are low compared to some other tight ends, one must also keep in mind that Cook has not had a first string quarterback in either of those two years. Cook has proved he can be a viable target, and although he does drop a pass or two a game, he has great size and great length to make his upside even bigger now that the Rams have a new quarterback.
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Speaking of that new quarterback, Nick Foles appears to have found his new favorite target. Multiple reports, as well as the visuals at camp, seem to say that Foles loves throwing the ball to Cook. Foles has thrown to him in the red-zone more than a few times, and loves to use Cook as a reliable check-down option.
QB Nick Foles and TE Jared Cook had some nice connections Tuesday night. One on deep corner early and another in shallow corner in RZ for TD
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 4, 2015
Jared Cook tends to look good every camp I've seen him, so grain of salt, but Jared Cook looks good today. Might be Foles' fav target.
— RamsHerd (@RamsHerd) August 11, 2015
What does this mean for Cook? It means he can go from a tight end that the league considers “overpaid” and completely cause everyone’s opinion to flip 180 degrees. Cook stands right now as the tenth highest paid tight end in the league. If Cook can have a 1000 yard season, which is completely possible if Foles stays healthy, he will be in the same company as the best in the league.
Of the nine guys listed above him, only a select few actually got over 1,000 yards receiving. In fact, Charles Clay put up similar numbers to Cook and just got rewarded with a 7.6 million salary courtesy of the Buffalo Bills, so Cook’s numbers aren’t that bad in retrospect.
Foles will likely play a drive or two in the first preseason game on Friday. Look for him to check down to Cook quite often.
Next: Rams, Chargers, Raiders All Make Presentation at Owners Meeting for LA
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